Ireland’s first competitor at the Winter Olympics Cormac Comerford was placed 34th in the men’s downhill alpine skiing event in Milan Cortina.
Going last of the competitors, Glenageary native Comerford in his Olympic debut, held his composure well to complete the course, clocking a time of 2:04.40.
Franjo von Allmen dashed Italian hopes and those of his all-conquering team-mate Marco Odermatt as he roared to victory in the men’s downhill in Bormio in a time of 1:51.61.
A time of 2:04.40 for @cormaccomerford in the men’s alpine skiing downhill #rtesport #TeamIreland #MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/S2RsJCq6gR
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 7, 2026
Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris both led briefly down the fearsome Stelvio course but had to settle for silver and bronze medals respectively, clocking times of 1:51.81 and 1:52.11.
Odermatt, a four-time defending overall World Cup champion, started as a strong favourite and led the field as he looked to claim his first Olympic downhill title.
But ultimately it was Von Allmen, a 24-year-old with just four World Cup downhill wins to his name, who clocked the winning time. Ireland’s Comerford was some 12 seconds behind.
After the race, 29-year-old Comerford said: “It’s an incredible feeling to make my Olympic debut today in this weather, on this slope. To bring it down Stelvio is a huge achievement, coming from the artificial slope back home. There’s a huge sense of pride. I made a few mistakes in the run, it felt smoother in training, but that’s racing and I’m really proud to have brought it down.”
On the challenge of starting last, he added: “Everyone’s eyes are on you, and the track is probably as destroyed as it can be. It’s definitely more challenging, but the snow grip team did an amazing job keeping the conditions good and safe.
“It’s a pleasure to ride this slope. It’s renowned on the World Cup circuit as one of the toughest slopes in the world so it’s great that I’ve had the opportunity to run this track, in these conditions, at this time of the year.”